New call for project ideas under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) with funding of 240 million euros.
The Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) has launched a global competition to find the best ideas for international climate action. The aim is to support developing and emerging countries in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and conserve biodiversity. Funding applications are invited for programme outlines in 13 topic areas, including digitalisation of transport, sustainable international finance flows, international forest conservation and a range of topics relating to the conservation of biodiversity. A total of 240 million euros are being made available from International Climate Initiative (IKI) funds for projects implementing the Paris Agreement and projects on biological diversity.
Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze commented: "The International Climate Initiative has been supporting successful climate strategies and projects for eleven years now. Since 2015, it has prioritised the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. Through the IKI, we want to test and implement the best ideas and policies for climate action, adaptation to climate change and biodiversity conservation in developing countries. We tackle these important tasks together with local communities and in close cooperation with our partner countries."
This latest call focuses on:
- Bringing finance flows into line with the climate targets – implementing Article 2 (1)(c) of the Paris Agreement.
- Capacity building to comply with the transparency requirements under the Paris Agreement.
- Digitalisation of transport in urban areas of Asia and Latin America.
- Alternatives to the introduction of new fossil-based energy infrastructures, especially coal-fired power generation.
- Energy efficiency in industrial and production plants, trade and commerce.
- Strategic use of cooperative approaches pursuant to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
- Establishing climate-friendly production standards and consumption patterns that support biodiversity.
- Upscaling, mainstreaming and implementing community based adaptation.
- Activities for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, focussing on forests.
- Preservation and restoration of peatland ecosystems.
- Conservation of terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
- Protection of pollinators and insect diversity.
- Capacity building to implement the work programmes of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Most projects will receive between 15 and 20 million euros in funding, but individual smaller projects may also be eligible. To this end, interested organisations can come together in consortiums and submit project outlines jointly. To ensure that results and ideas delivered by the project remain in the country for the long-term, these consortiums must be largely comprised of national implementing agencies. The projects have a maximum duration of 8 years and are aimed at developing new political, economic or regulative approaches, as well as technological options and models for cooperation.
The solutions used must have an impact beyond the projects themselves and must be transferable. For the current application phase, programme outlines must be submitted online in English by 19 March 2020 (midnight, CEST) Eligible applicants include NGOs, business enterprises (in a non-profit capacity), German federal implementing agencies, universities, higher education and research institutes in Germany and abroad, and international and multilateral organisations such as development banks and United Nations institutions.
The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the BMU
The IKI fulfils some of Germany's funding pledges under international climate and biodiversity agreements. Since 2008, the IKI has supported more than 730 projects throughout the world with total funding in excess of 3.6 billion euros. A key focus is to support partner countries in implementing their commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Conditions for project approval include compliance with strict fiduciary terms, ambitious human rights safeguards and stringent environmental and social standards.